Grimmauld Place on a Summer Afternoon
by madamefizz
Summary: It's been three years since leaving home, and Sirius decides to quickly sneak into Grimmauld Place to retrieve some old things. But, instead of just coming and going, he finds himself reconnecting with the very person he'd least expect.


A/N: So, I wrote this one night when I decided to be a cornball and make a ridiculously long one shot of Regulus and Sirius reconnecting after three some odd years. Rated T for the use of fuck and other naughty words. Hope you all enjoy it and comments are welcomed and loved!

Everything that is J.K Rowling's is not mine.

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><p>Sirius Black did not know why he was going home. He didn't know why he was making his way towards Grimmauld Place, nor did he know why the silence around him made it his bones churn, and hair on the back of his neck stand up. It was daylight. Nobody was home at this hour. He could slip in and slip out. Get that cash underneath his creaky floorboard, and go on home.<p>

Why didn't he listen to Remus? Why oh why was he doing this? Certainly he could find some other way to get some money. He had only graduated three weeks ago. The year was young. But something deep inside him knew he wanted to make this journey. Deep down, Sirius wanted to go inside and see his room. He was too god damn nostalgic, that was it. He kind of wanted to see the piece of crap again, and enter through the door of his room, and plop on the bed. It would be five minutes, six tops. He'd get in, get out, and go back on his merry way.

Sirius stood awkwardly between numbers 11 and 13. It was kind of awkward, standing there, and with a flick of your wand, watching 12 Grimmauld Place appear. It was like when your tripped and then discreetly looked around to make sure nobody saw. The same happened as Sirius walked up the stairs, peered to his left, and then crashed through the entrance.

The first thing he smelt was his mother. The old hag always made the house stink of her powdery lush perfumes. And, there was still that gaudy furniture that was always the subject of most of Sirius' scolding. He would wipe his dirty fingers along the rose pedaled couch cushions, or put his dirty shoes on shaggy, old fashioned carpets. And, as he hiked up the narrow staircase to his bedroom, his travel cloak blowing behind him, he remembered when he would stick coins and crayons in the noses of the mounted house elves surrounding him.

Oddly, his room was untouched. The door had been shut for nearly three years, and the inside was still coated with all the junk and crap that he had left three years before. The walls were still covered with posters of motorcycles and scantily clad Muggle women. His Gryffindor banner was still hanging proudly above his bed. It was a shock that his mother hadn't set his room on fire. It was odd that it was all still here waiting for him. In fact, his bed was in the exact same shape, his bed sheets in a clump at the edge of his bed. All this good furniture, gone to waste. Dusty and dirty. It was a shame.

Sirius bent down to look under his bed. The loose floorboard was under there, inside being some cash, a dirty magazine, a pack of cigarettes, a spell prank book, and some other odds and loose ends. This collection had been made the summer of third year, back when Sirius was twelve. He had originally saved it to buy a broomstick, back in the day when he didn't find Quidditch to be overrated. It was only two mornings ago when he remembered that period of his life, that he realized there was so much money here of his own. "It is rightfully mine," Sirius remembered telling Remus the morning after he remembered. "What do I have to be nervous about? It's my money so I'm going to take it,"

It was right about the moment when he got the floorboard lose, that he heard the creak of his door, and saw the feet of dress shoes stop in the doorway from his spot underneath the bed. For a minute he stayed there, in that uncomfortable, awkward position, where his ass was probably aimed in an odd direction above the bed, and his arm was outstretched rigidly against the hard wooden floor. He didn't dare to move, and the Remus Lupin inside his head told him to strategize and think logically. A sliver of knowledge told himself that this was his father, and a deep feeling of butterflies flittered though his abdomen at the mere thought. But, as he finally looked up, he saw his brother Regulus, dressed in a studious dress shirt and sweater vest combination, a lamp outstretched in his hand.

"Merlin, Reggy. You scared me," Sirius looked up from the other side of the bed, getting up and dusting off some lint.

Regulus' eyes narrowed at his brother, similarly to how they always narrowed when he was suspicious or uncertain of something. He had been reading in the parlor downstairs when he had heard someone come in and come up the stairs.

"Why are you here?" was all he mustered, the lamp still outstretched.

"Why are _you_ here?" Sirius responded.

"This is my house," Regulus retorted his eyes narrowing more, and his hand outstretching an extra inch.

"This is my room," Sirius responded.

"N-," Regulus began. He didn't know how to explain to his brother in so many words that this room wasn't really his. I mean, how dare he just show up after what was it? Three years? Three years! And now he choose to come in, break in no less, and claim this was his room. "This stopped being your room three years ago," he finished.

"Really?" Sirius questioned. "Cause it seemed like the folks managed to keep it in its exact condition. Besides, the dust everywhere. I mean I thought you people had servants to clean this place. It really is dis-,"

"What exactly is it you came here for?" Regulus asked with a slight snap in his voice.

Sirius reached down for the box with all his money inside. From the looks of it he was more than halfway there to reaching the right amount it was to buy the model Cleansweep he wanted. He held up the small box and gave it a shake. "This," he said, making his way towards the doorway. "Now, if you don't mind, I'll be on my merry way,"

Sirius passed his brother, his traveling cloak fluttering behind him. He hadn't been this close to Regulus in so long, and though part of him really wanted to stay and talk to him, he knew he had to leave. He knew that the very thought of Regulus and Sirius reconnecting had left ages ago, yet he couldn't help but wonder. What was Regulus now, fifteen? He was slightly tempted to turn around and say goodbye, but he kept reminding himself what Remus had told him, and the longer he stayed here, the more Sirius realized what a dumb idea it was to have ever come.

Regulus watched his brother walk past him and he couldn't help but feel something of a deep feeling of hatred. Or was it remorse? All Regulus knew was that he was gritting his teeth at the very thought of Sirius coming in and just leaving. It wasn't just the coming in part that bothered him-although that made him angry as well. It was mostly the leaving part. The fact that he just came for some stupid little box, and he just left. The lamp was still placed meekly in his hand. What an idiot he was! Always leaving his wand in random places so when he really needed it he was out of luck. What was he going to do with a lamp? But, he was so angry standing up at the top of the steps looking down at Sirius that he wanted to stun him. He wanted to punch his face in. So, in a fit of anger at his brother's insensitive actions Regulus heaved the lamp at Sirius' back.

The lamp connected with Sirius, causing him to fall and send the box of money spiraling across the floor. He was so close to having his head hit a cabinet filled with Black family possessions, but he missed it by an inch. Sharp pain now zapped through his back, and turning over fast enough to see Regulus come at him, his fist aimed to punch him in the face, Sirius reached for his wand sending a stinging charm in his brother's direction. Regulus suddenly fell on his back before hitting into the chair at the dining room table, Sirius watching him holding onto his cheek that he had obviously just stung.

"Fuck, Regulus. What the fuck was that?" Sirius said getting up, gritting his teeth at the searing pain that had now taken over his back. He saw the lamp, its shade now disconnected from its body. "Did you really just throw a lamp at me?" Sirius said in disbelief.

Regulus was getting up, the fierce anger in his abdomen now being extinguished by slight shame. A piece of his cheek was wet with raw skin from the stinging burn Sirius has cast on him. But, he couldn't help himself. He stood up, looking at Sirius suddenly the anger and the feeling he had when he threw the lampshade now flooding back to him. "Yeah," he began loudly. "Yeah, I did just throw a lamp at you, you, you, arrogant fuck," Regulus yelled. He hardly ever cursed, and when he did it was because he was in pain or annoyed at a situation. He knew it sounded bad and awkward when he said it, but he continued because there was no other way for Sirius to know his anger. Even now, after all those years had passed Regulus could feel Sirius belittling him just by the way he looked at him. But he was fifteen years old now, and he wanted Sirius to know how much of an arrogant fuck he was. "You think you can come back after three years of being gone and just come in here, take what you want, and leave? Did you really expect that would be okay?"

"No, actually," Sirius said now pointing his wand at Regulus. "I didn't. But I didn't actually give a fuck about whether or not it would be okay seeing as all that stuff up there is mine. Now go back to reading or doing whatever the fuck it is you do in your shitty summers and just forget I was ever here ," his wand edging closer and closer to Regulus' nose.

Regulus let out a laugh. He hadn't even realized he was laughing until after he was already doing it. It was a loud laugh that surely made Sirius think he belonged in a madhouse. He could tell Sirius was confused too because he looked back at him, his eyes narrowed, his wand pointed at him.

"What in Merlin's name are you laughing at?"

Regulus now stopped, looking back at Sirius with those piercing grey eyes he had. "Nothing, it's just, you really know nothing about me at all, Sirius,"

That statement took them both aback, Regulus because he didn't know he could be so cold and so well put before. He didn't even know where these things were coming from, but he found that everything was coming from within him and he was just spewing it out like lava. Sirius was taken aback because out of all the things in the world that could be unsettling the pit of his stomach at the moment, it was his kid brother. He was sure he knew more about Regulus than Regulus knew of him, but he supposed the brother he knew would never throw lamps or curse. Something had turned Regulus hard, and it hurt him to even begin to think of what happened to him these past three years.

"I suppose I can say the same thing to you," Sirius responded looking into his brother's eyes and then back to the gash on his cheek.

Regulus scoffed. "I know more about you then you probably know,"

"Oh do you now? Enlighten me then,"

"Well, where should I begin? All you care about is yourself and Potter, because Potter and you are like family now, aren't you? And you two liked to pride yourself in being the biggest two faced gits in Gryffindor, you along with that fat kid and the smart one. And you think you're so special with your messed up hair and all your detentions and girlfriends and sneaking out in the dead of night, when really you're just an idiot whose going to grow up to become nothing in life,"

"Oh really?" Sirius began upgrading on Regulus. "Well I know that you're a coward. You do nothing but listen to mummy's little orders because you're their little prince. Isn't that right, Regulus? You hang out with people bigger and better than you just so you can fit in. You're just a spoiled little prince that thinks he knows two shits about someone when he really doesn't,"

"You don't know me!" Regulus began now upgrading on Sirius. He was embarrassed to realize that tears were now forming in his eyes, but he couldn't seem to control his emotions. Sirius' arrival after three years seemed to of erupted some sort of flame inside of him. "Everything I do, I do to help my family, Sirius. I don't prance around pretending to play hero with James Potter and my other pathetic friends. I do the things I do to help my family. So don't you dare call me a coward,"

"And when will your family return back the favor, Regulus, huh? When have they ever done anything to help you?" Sirius bellowed back.

Regulus didn't answer at first. At first just him and Sirius were looking at one another, there grey eyes locked on one another. Sirius was astounded to see how his kid brother grew up into a rather attractive young man, his hair short and in mint condition, his cheek bones high, his lips small and now placed into a serious, drawn line. Regulus could see into Sirius' eyes. He was changed. He looked more like a grown man now, his chin growing what looked like either the beginnings of a beard or a long time without a shave. His hair was a little longer, and he was skinny, probably skinnier than Regulus himself. He wondered where he was staying now. Was he still at Potters? What was in the box? Why did he need it so bad?

"My family has done more for me than anyone else I know. More for me than my own brother," Regulus stammered his eyes still teary.

Sirius found that somewhere between the arguments he had lowered his wand. He now moved closer to Regulus, his teeth gritted, his jaw locked. "You know just as well as I do that everything I've done for you I've done because I care,"

"But that's the thing. You haven't done anything for me,"

"Haven't done anything for you? All those years before I left, everything I did, everything I taught you I did because I cared,"

"You did nothing but tease me incessantly,"

"I stuck by you, I tried to teach you the difference between what mum and dad said and what was right," Sirius yelled. "I knew more about you then anyone, and sometimes I think I still do. You know what, Reg? I know you're lying to yourself saying you're doing everything for your family when really you don't believe in any of it at all," Sirius persisted.

"You don't know anything, Sirius!" Regulus began to yell pushing aside the dining room chair that was on the floor "Once you left you completely severed the idea of having a say in anything that goes on in my life. So shut up, you ass, you have no right to say anything," the tears in his eyes were probably noticeable now, but he hardly had time to hide it because he was flashing his anger so much.

"You're a selfish prick," Sirius began angrily also moving the chair aside. "Poor you, Regulus. Poor you. Nobody understands you," He began sarcastically. "You don't think it was hard for me to leave you here alone? It was, but I had to leave. I couldn't take any more of this place," he continued. Regulus' words had stung. Sirius leaving had truly severed all ties he had had with his brother. But, he noticed Regulus looking crestfallen at the floor, tears in his eyes. He never was much of a fighter, Regulus. Back in the day he would burst out in tears whenever he had an argument with anyone, especially his mother. But, despite that, tears were a foreign thing to Sirius. He didn't know what to do when someone cried, heck, he didn't even know what to do when he, himself cried.

"The first year you were gone, it was horrible," Regulus continued, his voice suddenly getting so soft it scared him. It was so embarrassing, him standing in front of his brother, fifteen, with tears in his eyes, looking as vulnerable as a lost puppy.

"I know, Reg, I kn-,"

"But you don't know. Because if you knew you would have talked to me instead of strutting down the hallways with that ass Potter," Regulas began, remembering feeling jealous of Potter, remembering wanting to beg Sirius to come home.

"I knew you didn't want to talk to me,"

"I wouldn't have thought that would have ever stopped you before,"

"It did when I thought my own brother hated me,"

"But you know what sucks? I couldn't hate you despite how much I wanted to,"

Now the two stood staring at one another, one with a gash on his face, the other with a throbbing back, just staring at one another. The tears in Regulus' eyes were now scaling the side of his cheek. But he didn't brush it away because he hoped that if he pretended it wasn't there Sirius wouldn't notice. But Sirius did notice, and because tears and his brother opening up to him was both a foreign thing to him he stood there, awkwardly, his mouth open a bit just watching the whole scene opening up to him. And, because awkward moments were also a foreign thing to Sirius Black, he decided to end it all by reaching over and scooping his kid brother into his arms, holding him there until he felt that he wanted to let go.

Regulus hung onto his brother for what felt like forever. He remembered hugging his brother back when they were kids, and even though the Blacks weren't known for being huggers, the sentiment truly meant something to Regulus. He felt okay to hold onto his brother's skinny arms, squeezing his eyes hard so the rest of the tears would just fade away.

Regulus was the first to pull away. He wasn't sure if it was because he wanted to or if it was because he felt he should. But nevertheless, he did, putting the chair back in the process and wiping a tear away from the back of his hand. Awkwardness was evident in the room, but it was a good, chilled awkwardness that felt like it would soon be washed away with laughs.

Sirius let out a laugh this time. Only it wasn't manic, it was just a shrill note to say goodbye to the tension. He ruffled Regulus' hair a bit before slapping him on the back.

"So, sorry about the sting on your face," Sirius began with a slight laugh. "I mean, you did throw a lamp at me,"

"It's alright," Regulus replied, although he didn't really care. "It could be hard to cover it up, though. Someone should be coming home soon, but don't worry. I'll cover for you,"

"Nah, let them know I was here," Sirius trailed off. "I don't really care,"

They made their way further into living room, Sirius retrieving his box from the floor.

"Where are you staying?" Regulus suddenly asked remembering why he'd come.

"With Remus," he offered. "You can come visit if you'd like,"

"Thanks," Regulus finished awkwardly, now wondering what it would be like to go and visit Sirius and his friend. He'd imagine the whole thing to be rather jumbled, filled with small talk and refreshments that were probably badly cooked. Part of him wanted to go. "But I don't think that would work out," he trailed off, Sirius knowing why just as much as he.

"Well try to sometimes, alright?" Sirius said making his way towards the door before turning and looking back at Regulus. "Take care, Reg. Let's try to make next time come sooner. And remember, I'll always be there for you if you ever need me,"

And with that Sirius turned away, Regulus watching him hike down the stairs of Grimmauld Place. He closed the door, thinking about when he would see his brother next, if he ever would, and how much he truly loved him after all those years.


End file.
